SHINE! 2016 | The Essential Designer List

On September 10th, 2016 An all-star cast of 200+ volunteer models, dancers, actors and musicians — sponsored by volunteer local fashion designers, top hair stylists and make-up artists — created an avant garde themed extravaganza on the runway, all in support of mental illness & those living with addictions. Over 900 guests came out to support and enjoy an unforgettable evening of fashion, fun and entertainment for the inaugural year of SHINE!

SHINE! 2016 was a huge success!! I was so proud and honored to be on the team this year as the Official Fashion & Lifestyle Correspondent. I had so much fun conducting interviews leading up to the event, and building the social media buzz! Thank you so much to Dean Thullner for creating such an imaginative event which was a fabulous way to give back, with communities helping communities. I also want to tip my hat off to the whole team & participants for their hard work and organization! I sat down post-SHINE with the Lead Stylist, the incomparable Miss Dani Barnes | House Of Barnes, who gave me a few of her Lead Stylist notes on each of the 14 Fashion Designers who showcased their talents at SHINE! 2016. I can’t wait until next year, and I am still feeling the afterglow!

Still gagging over the eleganza that was SHINE! 2016? Want to look up some of the amazing designers? Here’s our Essential List! –Justin Voitic

It was an honor to see Tracy’s extreme imagination come forth in this collection. I love when designers produce lines that have a little bit of everything in them. From a full length tassel onesie to suiting for dapper ladies. My eye is on that black vest with the glitter smiley face…Loved it!!

A Blanche Macdonald grad with some seriously unique style! Who knew quilted pants were a thing…now we know. Doris is a genius, starting with a color pallet that strikes me as unusual (red and lime green) then somehow pulling the whole concept together like it was a classic pan-tone set. Delicious.

The black and white striped lady boss jacket saves my life just by existing. April Peters is a woman who has inspired me for years! Her designs are other worldly, absolute top quality and wearing anything of hers makes one not only feel like, but become royalty.

Layer upon layer upon layer of goth godliness and glamour. I LOVE wearing anything by Carolyn. She has an eye for ‘more is more’ that only a decadent exhibitionist can truly appreciate. A vial of blood here, a giant bat face on a 12 foot cape there, a casual light-up 8-piece elephant jewelry set over there….Yes. Please.

“Just make sure not to touch the razor mask. It is truly beautiful but they are real razors and you will totally cut yourself” says one of the models at rehearsal about one of Shay’s masks. I think this nicely sums up the collection- beauty with a bite that you’ll have to touch to verify you’re not dreaming!

Charlene has more talent then we know what to do with! I’m OBSESSED with the cream brocade coat with 3 foot long tail trains. I’ve never seen anything like it?! It’s a royal wedding for Tim Burton friends and I can’t decide whether I would want to be the bride or the groom. Keep your eyes on this one!

The rainbow sequin, red silk lined jacket was one of the first pieces I saw after being brought onto team Shine in May. She’s a Calgary designer and I knew we had to get those garments shipped in!! Well yes it was even more exquisite in person- our second Blanche Graduate designer who is going to make a big name for herself in this industry!

Karin is an absolute DOLL with devotion to glitter and opulent fabrics. Fashions fit for a queen? Had to say it. :p But really, stunning custom creations that make you want to dance and strut and show off and celebrate….how much better does it get? I need one of the tie waist, could be turned into a cape in a minute, skirts right now.

Head to toe couture. I was living my Indian princess fairy tale dream in their showroom but seeing the gowns live on their gorgeous models was the real spectacle. Some of their capes had to be lifted with both hands thanks to the meticulously hand-beaded fabrics. How do you pick a favorite color from a glitter covered rainbow?

DISCO MERMAID, FACE MIRROR CLAW, FLORAL MESH BUTTERFLY SHOULDER, LIGHT UP ROSE BUM. A runway collection does not get more elaborate then this. I knew I could count on Shiverz to serve us ‘never been seen before’ realness and inspire me to get farther outside the box with my own designs.

I want to ask Nikki Rose for an estimate of how many jewels she used to cover her entire collection and if she would turn me into the glittery ecstasy animal of my dreams for a show sometime. This one has a fiery passion for her creations, explosive perfection and haute couture combine to produce a line that continues to top itself!

A guru in her industry and a world famous collector- Melanie’s creations for Lace Embrace make people’s dreams come true on the daily. It is fascinating to watch someone turn a classic corset into thousands of different designs, always something new, making sure you think ‘what is she going to do next?’ Movie star goddess magic was delivered this time!

Boo La La continues to command FUN everywhere they show up. It was a pleasure to style 10 gorgeous men from sexy to outrageous to technically perfect ballet dancers. Mantra at the Boo is ‘Life’s More Fun In Costume’ and I think each model embodied this perfectly on the Shine runway!

Jennifer is a perfectionist and you can see the culmination of her efforts in gowns worthy of Marie Antoinette and her companions. How did we manage with an 8 foot cage skirt back stage you will never know, but it’s seriously a blessing to watch someone with that level of dedication bringing forth a pastel rainbow of her soul in fabric form. And you gotta love a quick change! Off with the skirts, on with the shorty shorts, what a perfect grande finale to the SHINE fashion show.
Lead Stylist Notes / Commentary by Dani ‘House of Barnes’
Intro by Justin Voitic
Photography by Kuna Lu | Kuna Photography Group
Source: HUSH Magazine

Diner en Blanc – Vancouver | 5th Anniversary

On Thursday August 18th 2016, those invited to join Vancouver’s Diner en Blanc celebrated it’s 5th anniversary in such a glamorous way. The largest one yet, totalling over 6000 people with 2000 more than previous years.
One third of the stylish attendees were Le Diner en Blanc first time participants, joining the veterans as we all enjoyed a magical evening together!
I (Justin Voitic) attended with my fave photographer Kuna Photography Group and were impressed as always not only by the effort those had put into their elegant all white looks, but by the extravagance of the table displays created but attendees who set up their own tables, linens and decorations as they dine al fresco.
The Vancouver Circus School is always a stand out with their talented contortionists who showed off their gymnastic strength in these photos, sprayed in beautiful white and silver body paint and shimmery makeup artistry to suit the event.
Crystal Carson the Style Director was a whimsical vision in white with a lace bustle, LED lights which took the dress day to night, an amazing fascinator and jewelry by the iconic Carolyn Bruce who creates incredible Steam-Punk jewelry.
Our friends at Moet & Chandon hooked me up with a limited edition fan, which I had fun flapping as I felt it went well with my white feather plumed top hat and pearls which Dani Barnes had picked out for me.
Thanks to Craig and the team inside the Media lounge for making our experience to entertaining, inside the Concord Pacific building which was air-conditioned and a nice breather to regroup as we sipped on delicious Rose before heading out again to continue our coverage.
The climax was the memorable tradition of lighting the night aglow with sparklers, as everyone soaked up the experience and celebrated with new and old friends while Juno nominated band The Lost Fingers serenaded us to cap off the 5th year of Le Diner en Blanc- Vancouver
We then head over to the after party to continue to dance the night away, as always we couldn’t shake off the afterglow of a blissful and unforgettable evening.
Shoutout to The Social Concierge & Camber Communications for inviting us and rocking the event increasingly every year!
See you next time,
All images by Kuna Lu | Kuna Photography Group
Article by Justin Voitic
Source: HUSH Magazine

The 8th Annual Deighton Cup 2016 | Off to the Races!

On Saturday, July 16th 2016 Kuna Photography & Justin Voitic covered the 8th annual Deighton Cup 2016 for HUSH Magazine.
We had a rousing time as all the hottest Vancouver fashionistas gathered at the Hastings Racetrack for a good old fashioned day at the races. The sweet smell of cigar smoke was in the air, you could hear the sound of champagne bottles popping amidst laughter and great conversations.
This event was filled with stylish and sexy individuals! The men were fine in their best dapper derby inspired looks.
The women were also dressed to the nines, and I think I saw some of the largest and most ornate fascinators to date this year as everyone went all out on their looks!
We saw excited bidders waving their tickets and shouting for the horse they had placed their bets on as the horses raced around the tracks with impressive speed.
It’s always a pleasure to see the owner of The Optical Boutique (who recently fitted Kuna with some stylish new frames which I was coveting that day) Sue Randhawa – this woman is not only a dear friend and a sweet soul but she is a style icon who we are fortunate to have with us here in Vancouver.
Sue was one of the judges of the Deighton Cup Style Stakes Awards, which we enjoyed watching this year. Stephanie Zen who attended with us and myself also self-nominated ourselves which was a new feature this year. Stephanie was rocking a baby blue number with a matching Hermes Kelly bag which gave me life!
Kudos to Crystal Carson, the Style Director of the Deighton Cup who really did a fab job teaching everyone the fashion etiquette and history of the event with her fun posts and news appearances leading up to this year’s cup. It looks like everyone took note as the crowd was looking extra chic this year!
To make things fair, Crystal Carson pulled self nominated fashionistas up on stage at random by drawing ballots.
One of our lovely friends Dominique Hanke was called up on stage, and I was obsessing over her hat which she crafted beautifully. The legendary Liz Bell did the final judging and the best dressed man and woman were awarded each $500 for the Style Stakes Awards.
I pulled my outfit together last minute out of my closet using clothes I had purchased with my personal shopper who you should all go visit at Topman, Mr. Nano Clow. I was rocking accessories pulled from the company I work for, LXR&CO also located in Hudson’s Bay. Specializing in vintage luxury we just moved our location upstairs to the Main Floor in handbags. From LXR&CO at this event I was wearing Tom Ford glasses, a damier ebene Louis Vuitton briefcase, and a Balenciaga clutch wallet. You can purchase all three for under $2000 which is an excellent value. I always love to rock eco-fashion looks so I paired my pre-loved LXR&CO luxury swag with a vintage fox fur that I had thrifted.
After the winners were announced, the music kicked back in and the party really started to pick up as the sun came out and we made our way to enjoy the complimentary meals, which were delicious!
Extra thanks to our friends at Veuve Clicquot for having us in your private booth and popping some of your delicious bubbles with us!
With over 4000 attendees this year, The Deighton Cup is just getting bigger and more amazing each year, also more fierce as everyone really does go all out which is nice to see in Vancouver! Props to Camber Communications for doing a fabulous job, and it was so great to see everyone. See you all next at Diner en Blanc, Vancouver!!!
Article by Justin Voitic
Photos by Kuna Photography
Source: HUSH Magazine

Dani Barnes of House of Barnes & Boo La La Costumes was looking FLAWLESS!
As Western Canada’s largest AIDS service organization, Positive Living BC provides peer-based wellness programs to over 5,700 people living with HIV in British Columbia. With such a great turnout and a sold out crowd, monies raised at RED will sustain programs that help foster health and well being.
April Peter’s designs were beautifully romantic and a definite highlight of the evening!
Over 100 artists in the Vancouver arts community collaborated to bring us the shows we enjoyed Friday night at the event. There was a truly positive vibe in the air, and we all had a lot of fun as we showed our support. It was wonderful to see so many talented and familiar faces come out and show solidarity towards the Positive Living Society of BC.
I was dressed by the creative Dani Barnes of House of Barnes and Boo La La Costumes, who put me in a gender-bending RED number that fit perfectly with the event. She paired my look with an extreme Carolyn Bruce steampunk statement necklace which we lovingly nicknamed “Don’t Touch The Boobs” My makeup was done by the Dior team at Hudson’s Bay downtown. I was feeling myself like the emoji of the spanish lady rocking the red dress. I was getting hit on by some handsome lesbians in dapper suits while having the time of my life!
After the VIP Reception which included complimentary bubbles and delicious donut bites passed around by the beautiful Ron Wear and Alexia Fairbrother, we mingled with some of Vancouver’s hottest fashionistas.
Kuna & I made the rounds and stopped by a raffle game which was presented by the always wonderful “Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence” including two of their newest “Postulants” who hope to be inducted into the sisterhood, which always gives back to the LGBT community.
Dean Thullner, the Event Producer did a fantastic job of the evening, which went off without a hitch. The host of the evening was Steven Schelling, and we were moved by Valerie Nicholson’s speech, the Chair of The Positive Living Society of BC who was met with a standing ovation.
After the Live Auction put on by David C. Jones, it was time to enjoy the theatrical fashion shows of the evening! The RED Runway show was underway, with a theme which shows us the experience of two people living with HIV interpreted through fashion, music and live performance.
The standout Fashion Shows that gave me life were “Male Trade & Female Trade” by Dani Barnes & Boo La La Costumes, which was a super fun romp through different styles of uniform and had the crowd clapping, laughing and smiling.
“CEOS” was local eco fashion favourite Nicole Bridger‘s all business collection. “Corporate Ho’s” was also different styles of business attire beautifully tailored by local fashion designer Connally McDougall.
“Chicks” was S&M and bondage inspired and was an edgy collection of the different seasons of designer Evan Clayton’s work.
Carlotta Gurl and Brent Ray Fraser made quite an impression on the crowd as they rocked every inch of the stage during the shows giving us the performance value.
After the show which was musically produced by one of my faves DJ Skylar Love, we rocked out to a set by the hunky DJ Adam Dreaddy who also never disappoints!
All in all, fun was had and money was raised for an excellent cause. From the looks on everyone’s faces, we all had a wonderful evening. Thanks again for having us! Until next time, writer/ Justin Voitic and Kuna Lu | Kuna Photography Group here – signing out.
Source: HUSH Magazine

BTS: THECloset YVR Launches with Thanks to VIPs & Friends

On Friday night (August 21st) Vlassis and I proudly opened the door and many bottles of wine, to a small gathering of our VIPs. ‘Very Important People‘ who helped us either emotionally, financially or physically along our journey of opening Vancouver’s first ecoluxury lifestyle boutique (possibly Canada’s?). It was an intimate evening of hugs and smiles followed by a second party Saturday afternoon to which we invited all our fashion industry friends.
The concept of opening a niche retail boutique that sells only curated luxury at an affordable price point – be it new or vintage – alongside BC artisan pieces with a strong focus on value-added customer service, was met with a lot of skepticism and trepidation. But we did it anyways!
BC Artisan vendor products: Reclaimed Print Co and our exclusive nautical screened pieces, Basic Design, Me&YouBody vegan personal grooming products, and an array of Gianfranco Ferre vintage ties.
We want to first thank Vancity Credit Union‘s Hormus Karat (Branch #4 Manager) and Josh Ludgate from Small Business BC for taking a chance on us. The process was months long but together we pulled it off and Hormus and his lovely wife Berndette joined us and it really made our evening!
Our mentor Craig Patterson of Retail-Insider and Winston Collective was traveling and unable to make the VIP party but we know how proud he is. We cannot express how valuable lawyer Ritchie Po is to our business. Not only is he a fantastic friend but his Knotwerk By Ritchie Po is gaining momentum and the highest read content on our FB and website! Conceptualizing and shooting the weekly style column is always so much fun.
THECloset YVR: Style Writer Ritchie Po of #KnotwerkByRitchiePo (Lanvin tie, Varvatos vest & Fluevog shoes), co-founders Vlassis Xanthopoulos (PhatFarm shirt) and Helen Siwak (Armani dress and Bulgari pendant fromModaselle).L: Collectible vintage Mary Quant and soft blue gemstone Cartier scarf. R: La Cigale: Senteurs Provencales shaving and gift boxes, Tracey Tomtene custom necklaces that say“Like a Boss, Girl Boss, Do Epic Shit, EcoLuxLuv”.
Even though I have known Dominique Hanke and Joshua Langston for a long time, it is only recently that we have really come together as close friends. Both have been incredibly supportive over the past year and always have a ‘chin up’ approach to any of the seemingly unsolvable and/or insane situations we find ourselves in.
Left to Right: The Triumvirate: Helen Siwak, with Lead In-House Stylist Dominique Hanke of HankeStyle in Graeme Black gown, Joshua Langston of The Social Life wearing head to toe thrifted! This is how you do it: shirt by Religion, bag by Alexander Wang, belt by Versace Jeans Couture, pants by DSquared2 & footwear by Louis Vuitton.Jaralin Detienne is a new friend and supporter. I met a woman in the puppy park late one night and she took my card for a friend of a friend who wanted to do consignment. Jaralin came into the boutique with the most beautiful runway collection consignment and literally never went home! She offered to help immediately with the set-up of the boutique, the party, everything we needed until the party was over and we closed the doors. Amazing! She is a singer – click her name for her youtube channel.
Dr. Jeff Matthews is a physicist turned animal rights activist and President of Sea Shepherd Canada. As proud he is of us, we are equally as proud of him. His encouragement and availability as a sounding board for our ecofriendly business strategies was invaluable. THECloset YVR is honoured to be named the exclusive distributor of Sea Shepherd Canada merchandise. Await the announcement and come visit for t-shirts and beanies in a month or so.
Orianna Lacey of TheMarketingSmith was our hostess and lent her shining personality to welcoming everyone. She is hitting Vancouver like a hurricane with her vibrant force. THECloset YVR provided her a two piece Gianni Versace Couture vintage set to stand-out in her important role.
Left to Right: Singer Songwriter Jaralin Detienne (Alexander McQueen dress), Sea Shepherd’s Jeff Matthews / Hostess Orianna Lacey of TheMarketingSmith, Edmond Lee of Jo Malone & Estee Lauder in amazing Miu Miu kicks.Ritchie’s guests: Wesley Yuen of Artistrun Collective holding DSquared2 Top Banana belt with husband Patrick Prinster.Ritchie’s friend Amanda Harris snapping pics and chatting about knotty things.Left to Right: Rebecca Rachel of Serendipity Boutique (Chanel bag & Valentino rockstuds), Helen Siwak and her former intern, stylist & dancer Jason Pillay.Matthew Saunders of Holt Renfrew, Edmond Lee, Aaron Thul VP of EMOL / Jason and Rebecca.Aaron, Ritchie and Matt O’Grady of BC Business looking cool in casual chic.Clockwise: Rebecca, Model Nyalem Wan / Nyalem, Helen Siwak & Vlassis Xanthopoulos / Wesley and Orianna.Clockwise: Helen’s decolletage, fancy footwear including Josh’s vintage Louis Vuitton two-tones, Edmond’s Miu Miu and style blogger Tahmina of Alouve.com and her Hermes handbag.
Before photographer Kuna Lu arrived some of our invitee’s stopped by and we were so excited that we forgot to get pictures – apologies to Sue Randhawa, Britta Bisig,Myriam Laroche, and Randa Salloum.
Our La Biosthetique gal, Michelle Phaneuf was on a well deserved cruise and did not attend but we made sure everyone received a sponsored giftbag complete with La Bios products and other goodies from our sponsors and vendors.
Gift bags sponsored by La Biosthetique.
We dined on Plantbase Food & Natural Products vegan appetizers that blew everyone away! Thank you chef David Isbister for the amazing food, incredible pricing and convenient delivery.
Documenting the deliciousness: 1. Chocolate-enrobed Paleo Cookie Dough Truffle, 2. BBQ “Pork” Style Jackfruit with Arugula and crisped onion, 3. Cashew Cheddar, Sweet Pickled Beet Root on a raw flax seed/tomato/onion cracker – topped with a pinch of raw probiotic cultured cabbage, 4. Fried Chinese Eggplant strip with fresh Coconut Sesame Slaw.
Thank you to everyone! We’ve got a great group of people supporting us and we are grateful.
Helen & Vlassis

Luxury & Supercar Weekend 2015

Luxury & Supercar Weekend rolled into the beautiful VanDusen Botanical Garden on September 12 and 13 to stage $200M+ of rare classics and modern supercars.
It must be the Season of the Witch as everything was getting kinda Groovy! PS – We loved the Johnny Depp-esque male model who did his thing on the runway.Lady in Red – wasn’t this look everything?
The Luxury & Supercar Weekend is also known for showcasing Canada’s largest display of fine jewelry. We passed two armed guards strapped with machine guns and handguns to enter a tent which contained millions of dollars worth of diamonds and fine jewelry in “The Vault” hosted by Luxury Promotions Inc.
We were so inspired by Sophie Mizrahi-Rubel, the President of John Rubel – this jewelry company has a beautiful history and the company has been passed down to her through generations.
She has reincorporated some of the classic John Rubel designs and upgraded them with a 2015 twist and was kind enough to take some of these pieces, priced at $700,000 each out of the glass cases for us as she told us more about John Rubel.
Sophie even allowed me to wear one of her most precious pieces – a multi faceted ring with sapphires, which is a 2015 take on the multi coloured diamond cuff shown below, which is an original John Rubel piece of history and was breathtaking!
Writing by Justin Voitic
Photography by Kuna Photography Group
Source: HUSH Magazine